Neil Mackay, acclaimed educator and world-leading thinker on dyslexia, returns to New Zealand in 2011 to offer more highly sought-after professional development. With sold-out national workshops in 2009 and 2010, thousands of New Zealand teachers, educators and parents have already experienced first-hand just why Neil is held in such regard as a powerful advocate for dyslexia action, and how easy it can be to implement meaningful change.

In August 2011, he’ll be taking this to the next level, offering bespoke training and conferences for schools, clusters and organisations, as well as the whole school training he offers very successfully in the UK. While still working within the Dyslexia Foundation’s 4D framework and in close association with us, Neil will book events directly with interested parties such as schools, clusters, groups of RTLBs, RTlits and other specialists and will prepare bespoke presentations to meet local needs.

In addition to his usual inclusive focus on “The Dyslexia Friendly Classroom” Neil will also widen his training to cover AD(H)D, Asperger’s Syndrome and Dyspraxia and introduce his new concept of “Total Teaching”.  Total teaching focuses on the inclusive best practice required to raise the achievement of vulnerable learners in the context of the National Curriculum, Self-Review and effective classroom management.

Neil can be contacted direct through the ‘contact me’ section of his website at www.actiondyslexia.co.uk. DFNZ and  4D will also forward to Neil any inquiries received so he can advise directly on training details, fees and availability.

2011 training includes:

WHOLE SCHOOL TRAINING – EITHER “THE DYSLEXIA FRIENDLY CLASSROOM” OR “TOTAL TEACHING”

Available for individual schools or, by agreement, several schools can join together to share the cost of training. Both events can be delivered either as a whole day training event or as a combination of afternoon consultancy and after school training for staff (Consultancy plus).  Consultancy plus offers flexibility and does not require a school to be closed for the day, with afternoon and after-school sessions available. Another alternative is for Neil to model inclusive best practice with classes of children – for example, comprehension skills or writing skills for reluctant writers with teachers observing.  Last year this worked very successfully at Cathedral Grammar in Christchurch with teachers from neighbouring schools observing the lessons, followed by a whole staff twilight session and an evening presentation to parents.

Both “The Dyslexia Friendly Classroom” and” Total Teaching” cover ‘notice and adjust’ strategies to enable teachers to identify and respond to a range of learning needs.

CONFERENCE/WORKSHOP EVENTS
These will be available via the very successful models used in 2010 by the Tauranga cluster in the Bay of Plenty, which also included an evening parents session, and also SPELD in Wellington and Auckland.  Events are organised by the groups themselves, with Neil offering support and a master copy of course materials.  A number of event themes are available, as follows:

Raising Awareness This is the “Dyslexia Friendly Classroom” day which has been so successful in 2009 and 2010. The target audience is class and subject teachers who wish to improve their classroom management skills in the context of dyslexic type learning difficulties.  ‘Notice and adjust’ is the key principle.  This day can also be extended to include a wider range of learning needs.

Taking it up a level This the day for teachers who have either already attended the awareness raising day or who have a level of understanding and expertise in identifying and responding to the needs of dyslexic learners – typically RTLB/RTLit as well as other specialists. As with the previous day, this event can easily be extended to look at managing behaviour for learning of students with AD(H)D, Asperger’s Syndrome and Dyspraxia.

Meeting the needs of the 4% This day is for specialist teachers working with students whose needs have been identified as “over and above”, often through a formal assessment. Last year this presentation formed the basis of the very successful events run by SPELD groups and looks at small group responses to dyslexic learning issues which are informed by current research and neurological perspectives.

Bilingual Day This is for teachers working with students for whom English is a second or additional language.  It builds on work Neil does in Hong Kong, Singapore and Wales where the needs of dyslexic learners can be obscured by issues of second language competence and also contains insights from discussions with Maori educators in New Zealand. This day looks at how dyslexia aware classroom management techniques are well suited to ways of learning preferred by Maori students.

Contact Neil MacKay today - click here